Fire-extinguisher.



D. ESTS.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 16, 1913.

Patented Sept. 29

UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE.

DANA ESTES, 0F BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSI-GNOR 0F vONE-'HALF TO TSSEB. THOMAS, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-EXTINGU'ISHER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patterned Sept. 29, 1914i- Applicationfiled October 16, A1913. Serial No. 795,474.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DANA ESTES, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have inventedjcertain new and useful ImprovementslinFire- Ilxtinguishers, of which the followingis a specilication. e

This invention relates to fire extinguishers, and particularly of theportable or hand type which is not inverted for use, the

pressure for discharging the liquid being obtained by means of an airpump.

While my improved extinguisher is designed for the employment of liquidSuch as carbon tetrachlorid, l do not limit my- Self-to the use of theapparatus with any particular liquid or compound.

As hereinafter explained', some of the features of my invention,especially those relating to the pump, provide for the exclusion ofliquidfrom the pump so as to prevent corrosion of the pump mechanism. n

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a construction whichwill render'it practically impossible that any parts or pieces of themechanism can become lost when the .parts are separated for filling thereservoir.

Another object is to provide-a structure whereby -the reservoir may beheld by one hand in such manner that the finger of that hand may controlthe discharge, leaving the other hand of the user free to manipulate thehose and nozzle. 1 e,

Another object is to provide locking means which will prevent the liquidin the reservoir from workinglinto the pump. g

Another objectis -to provide means which will insure the preservation ofa chamber for air under compression to expel thevliquid, -said'meanspreventing theperson who may be refilling the reservoir from placing toomuchl liquid therein.

A further object is to provide meansfor preventing theoutlet-controlling valve frombeing manipulated when theeitinguisher isin its rack or supported position. l

To these and other ends hereinafter eX- plained, my invention consistsin the improvements which I -shall now proceed to describe. and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a broken-out, verticalsection of an extinguisher embodying my improveshoulder 28 which areremovable as a unit from the reservoir; Fig. `3 fis adetail view of theband 'which is frictionally held on the lower part of the reservoir;Fig. -1- is a Idetailed perspective view of thevlower end of the mainhandle; Fig. 5 represents a. section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is aperspective View of the bracket for supporting the extinguisher, and.showing the means for automatically locking the valve handle againstoperation.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts in all of the views.

The reservoir v10, preferably cylindrical in form, has its lower endformed with a vertical flange 11. The .top 12 ofithe reservoir has aninwardly projecting `flange or tliimble 13 which is internally threadedto receive the threaded nipple 14 of the head lof the pump. A suitablewasher may -beemployed between the head 15 and the top of the flange 13,as indicated in Fig. 1.

Rigidly secured to the nipple 14, as by brazing, or otherwise, is a pumpbarrel 16, the lower ,end bei-'ng closed as by means of a disk or plug17 having a vertical aperture 18,the upper end of which is surrounded bya rib or shoulder 19 to form a seat for a stopper plug or diskhereinafter decscribed. A. lower extension'of the plug or disk 17 isformed with a chamber 20, the lower end of said extension having atubular plug 21 screwed therein. A ball valve 22, held by a spring 23,'normally closes the port 18. y

The piston 24 of the pump is carried by a piston rod 25 which extendsupthrough the head 15 and is provided with a handle 26,

the connection of the liandlewith the piston rod preferably beingadjustable as hereinafter described, in order that when thev piston rodis locked, a stopper disk 27, carried at the lower end of the pistonrod,`

maybe closely seated upon the rib 19. The

stopper disk 27 is preferably of such material as vulcanized fiber.

The upper surface of the head 15 is formed or provided with an annularrib or surrounding the aperture through which the piston rod slides, andthe lower end ofthe handle isformed with af recess containing a packing29 which is adapted to coperate with the rib 28, when the piston rod isin the position shown in Fig. 1, in positively preventing the passagerija 4of any air through the port 33 presently described, or aroundV thepiston rod. The lower end of the handle is formed with outwardlyextending inclined rib's 30 (Figs. 4 and 5) and with stop lugs 31. Thehead 15 is formed with undercut iianges 32. The

spaces between the langes 32, as indicated in Fig. 5, are such as topermit the ribs A and lugs 31 to pass between said flanges 32 when thehandle is turned to proper'position for this to be done, as hereinafterdescribed. The inlet 33 through Vthe head supplies air to the pumpbarrel when the piston is moved inwardly. f

'Ihe head 15 is provided with a nozzle 34 shown in the drawings aselbow-shaped, the passage in said nozzle communicating with a chamber 35in the head. The inner face of lthe piece constituting the nozzle isprovided with a valve seat 36 for a valve 37 located in the chamber 35.and having a stem 38 projecting outwardly through the passagekhereinbelore mentioned. A spring -3,9 adds to the internal`pressure inthe reservoir, tending to keepthe valve closed on its seat. Mounted torock in the body of the nozzle 34 is a cam 40 having a. hook ortrigger-shaped handle41 so that when said handle is rocked theiat faceof'therocking .cam 40 will act upon the stem '38 of the' valve to thrustthe latter away from its seat 36. The head 15 is formed with a port `42leading to the chamber 35. A smallfpipe 43 is connected at .one end withsaid portl 42 `and extends downwardly alongside of the `pump barrel 16,said tube being preferably rigidly secured to the outer surface of thebarrel 16, asby solder. The lower end of the pipe 43 is preferablyprovided with a suitable strainer 44, the pipe 43 constituting theoutlet pipe or passage for liquid con-v tained in the reservoir underpressure of air in the upper portion of the reservoir, as

.tiall'y so, in order that that 'for the purposes for which .my ex'.-.tiiiguisher is designed, it must always bel used when in verticalposition or substanthe air under pres- Surev will expel the liquid. Inorder that the flexible hose of a length greater than the height of thereservoir ma beheld with the nozzle not depending' lbe ow the bottom ofthe reservoir, I provide means for holding the nozzle with the hosewrapped more or. less around the reservoir. For this ur-- 6-5 .pose .Iprovide a 'Spring band 47 W .ch

frictionally---clasps ythe reservoir, said band having a socket 48 tohold the nozzle 46. The band may beslipped to the proper verticalposition relatively to thebottom of the reservoir, and rotated after thenozzle 46 has been placed in the socket or holder 48, this resulting inwrapping the hose closely around the reservoir, but holding it iii suchmanner that the nozzle can be quickly disengaged rom the socket when itis necessary to use the extinguisher. Owing to the fact that the band47, with its socket or holder 48, is free to be shifted vertically aswell as rotatively on the reservoir, the socket can be so located as toreceive the nozzle 46 without having the nozzle bind in the socket, andthen when it is desired to use the extinguisher in an emergency,separation. of the socket and nozzle canbe instantly effected by simplyslipping the band downwardly.

The reservoir has no opening whatever leading into it excepting thatwithin the flange or thimble 13 at the top. To lill or refill thereservoir thehead 15, ,by means of its screw-threaded nipple 14, isremoved from the opening, said head carrying with it all of the parts,as illustrated in Fig. 2,

these parts -being separable from the reservoir as a unit,without'liability of loss of any of the parts when the pump is re-.moved for refilling the reservoir.

In order that the person who is refilling may be prevented frompouringso mncli liquid as to prevent the presence of anlair chamber when theparts are reassembled, I provide a tube 49 within the reservoir andsurrounding the pump, the lower end of the tube being open andlextending sufficiently far downwardly within the reservoir so that whena person is Iilling the reservoir through the opening at the top and thetube 49, the liquid cannot rise around said tube 49 above its lower end.The proportion of this tube 49 relatively to the cubic contents of thereservoir is so designed as to insure a suilicient air space around thetube 49,

above the liquid, to permit air to be compressed in that space to asuiicient degree to afterward force out all of the liquid. However, ashereinafter explained, air can be suppliedat any time by means of theson grasping, the handle 26, and with one finger engaged with the hook41, may carry the apparatus and direct the stream ordinarily whereverwanted. I provide means for preventing the operation of the triggerhandle. `41 when the extinguisher is connected to its supportingbracket, such as that indicated at 50 ii Fig. 6. Said bracket P hen theapparatus is to be used a peris provided with holesV 51 for screws .by

means of which it may be screwed in any suitable position that willrender the extinguisher accessible. The foot 52 of the bracket isprovided with a groove 53 which receives the bottom flange 11 ofthereservoir. The upper .end of the bracket is formed as an arm 54 of suchwidth as to fit between one side of the stem of the handle 26 and theinner face of the trigger handle 4l, and so fill that spacethat the.trigger handle cannot be moved in a .direction to cause the valve toopen. One side of the .arm 54 is recessed as at 55, and opposite saidrecess is a spring 56, the said recess 55 and the spring 56 presenting a`yielding socket into which the stem of the .handle 26 can be slippedand from which it can be quickly removed.

The upper end of the piston rod 25 is threaded as at 57, andthe handle26 is internally threaded to engage the threaded portion 57. A jam screw58 in a vertical centralaperture bears at its lower' end against the topof the' piston rod 25. This is to enable the handle to be adjusted veryaccurately on the piston rod. The reason for this is that the inclinedribs 30 must coact with the iianges 32 so that when the parts 4areturned to substantially the relative positionsy shown in Fig. 5, thestem 25 will be so forced downwardly-that the stopper disk 27 willtightly close the bottom aperture.

l/Vhen the apparatus is to be used it is first removed from the bracketas hereinbefore described and carried by means of the handle 26 and thetrigger handle 4l operated by a finger of the carrying hand, while theother hand of the user can direct the stream by means of the nozzle 46,the air under compression in the chamber around tube 49 forcing theliquid up through the small pipe 43 and through the port 42 and outthrough the nozzle and tube. If additional internalv pressure is needed,the operator simply turns the handle enough to release the ribs 30 fromthe locking flanges 32, after which the piston can be operated to forceair down through the lower port, which air will of course rise throughthe liquid to the chamber around the tube 49. `Whenfthe handle andpiston rod are unlocked as just describedv and lifted, the packing 29 isof course removed from the rib 28 so that air can flow in through theport 83. y The bracket 50 is useful not only as a support for theextinguisher, but also as a valve lockingattachment if it is desired totransport the extinguisher. When the flange ll is in the groove 53 andthe stem of the handle is in the socket of the bracket hereinbe'- foredescribed, the bracket is so 'connected to the extinguisher that it willremain attached thereto with its arm 54 locking the trigger handle 4l sothat the valve 37 can? not be opened. In this Vcondition theextinguisher and its locking attachment bracket may be saelvtransported, and even placed on its side in the tool box of anautomobile. From such place it can be removed andthe bracket pulled awayto releasey the valve handle to permit use ot the extinguisher.y

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A fire extinguisher comprising a reservoir, a pump barrel inthereservoir, said pump barrel having its lower end closed and providedwith a vertical aperture, a rib or shoulder being formed around theupper end of the aperture, a piston inthe pump barrel, said pistonhaving a 'stopper' plug or disk adapted to be seated upon the said rib,-a piston rod movable through the upper end of the reservoir, ,and meansfor locking the piston rod with the stopper plug or disk firmly seated'upon said rib to prevent access of liquid from the reservoir into thepump barrel. l

2. The combination with a lire extin- 85 guisher providedwith a handle,and having anl outlet valve provided with a movable'operating handle, ofa supporting bracket having an arm interposed between said handles whenthe extinguisher is supported by the bracket to prevent operation of said'valve.

3. The combination with a fire extinguisher provided with a handle, andhaving an outlet valve providedy with a movable operating handle, of asupporting bracket having an arm interposed between said handles whenthe extinguisher is supported by the bracket to prevent operationof saidvalve, said arm having a socket to receive the first mentioned handle. f

4. The combination with a fire extinguisher provided with a handle, andhaving an outlet valve providedy with a movable. operating handle, of asupporting bracket having an arm interposed between said handleswhen-the extinguisher issupported by the bracket to` prevent operationof said valve, said arm having a socket to receive the first mentionedhandle, and a spring plate normally closing said socket.

5. The combination with a fire 'extinguisher provided with a handleandhaving an outlet valve provided with a movable op- 'erating handle,of a supporting bracket havngmeans at its lower end 'for supporting 11.5the extinguisher and having an arm at its upper end provided with anenlargement interposed between said handles when the extinguisher issupported bythe bracket to prevent operation of said valve. 120

6. The combination with a fire extinguisher provided with a handle andhaving an outlet valve provided with a movable op-l erating handle, of asupporting bracket having means at its lower end for supporting theextinguisher and having an arm at its upper end provided with anenlargement interposed between said handles when the extinguisher issupported by the bracket to prevent operation of said valve, said armhaving a socket to receive the irst mentioned handle.

7 The combination with a re extinguisher providedwith a handle andhaving an outlet valve provided with a movable operating handle, of asupporting bracket having means at 'its lower end for supporting' theextinguisher and having an arm at its upper end provided -with anenlargement in- 10 terposed between said handles when the eX- tinguisheris supported by the bracket to 1,112,2oeV

| prevent operation of said valve, said arm having a socket to receivethe first inentioned handle, and a spring normally closing said socket.

In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature, 1n presence of twoWitnesses.

DANA ESTES.

Witnesses:

W. P. ABELL, P. W. PEZZETTL

